Viral footage has shown Sri Lanka police dragging Jaffna Tamils away and forcing them to quarantine. In a special operation carried out today by Jaffna police under the instruction of Chief Inspector, Prasad Fernando, at least 20 Tamils in Jaffna were arrested for allegedly not wearing masks or following social distancing measures.

Coordinating Secretary to the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Geethanath Kassilingham, has been appointed as the state’s "special Rehabilitation Facilitation Officer" for the North-East as a military crackdown on the North-East intensifies.

Speaking to investigative journalist, Phil Miller, former Justice Minister for Scottish Parliament, Kenny Macaskill, admits to turning a ‘blind eye’ to Police Scotland’s training of Sri Lanka’s forces, despite concern over human rights violations.

Turning a blind eye

Tamil politicians and parliamentarians belonging to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) have decried the Sri Lankan government’s plan to bring a collection of Tamil villages in Mullaitivu district under the Mahaweli Development Project, a move they allege is an attempt to colonise the link between the Northern and Eastern province, the traditional Tamil homeland. 

The Jaffna Press Club marked World Press Freedom Day with a commemoration event on Monday, to remember the Tamil journalists who have been killed in Sri Lanka. 

Journalists lit candles and laid flowers in tribute to their murdered colleagues. 

A Tamil man was arrested under the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for allegedly 'promoting Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ideology'.  

Ganapathipillai Mohan, also known as 'theatre Mohan', was arrested by Eravur police earlier this week for allegedly sharing a photo of LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran.  Eravur police also seized a mobile phone and an Apple iPad. 

As India grapples with a wave of coronavirus infections, Sri Lanka’s cases continue to hit daily highs, sparking fears of deadly infections being met with an intensified authoritarian response from the state.     

Sri Lanka’s Navy has reported that it blocked 11 Indian fishing vessels from entering Sri Lankan waters and detained 86 individuals before sending them back to India.

These arrests come as Sri Lanka’s Navy has intensified surveillance of waters in the North-Western and Northern waters. Sri Lanka’s Fishery Minister, and leader of the pro-government paramilitary Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), Douglas Devananda has maintained that the detention of Tamil Nadu fishermen will continue.

Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, Jaffna MP and leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootani (TMTK), congratulated M.K. Stalin on his party’s victory in the recent Tamil Nadu elections and being elected as the state’s Chief Minister for the first time.

This weekend marked the 39th birthday of Isaipriya, a famed Tamil newsreader that was executed by the Sri Lankan military in 2009.